How fashion students are shaping sustainable UN uniforms

The United Nations (UN) collaborated with the Swedish School of Textiles, part of the University of Borås, for its new uniforms. Students designed a collection of sustainable uniforms that will be worn by UN tour guides. Accessories are now being added to the collection as well.

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Sustainable UN uniforms

Last year, the UN presented the collection during a special fashion event at its headquarters. During her speech, Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, explained why these new uniforms matter.

“Our multilingual guides are the face and voice of the organization for a quarter of a million visitors to our headquarters each year. Their fresh look will surely captivate our visitors and strengthen the momentum to highlight and promote the invaluable efforts of the United Nations to advance peace and inspire action around the world every day,” said Fleming.

The new uniforms, shown in the photo above, use natural fibres and local production methods. The way the UN developed these uniforms matters because the project forms part of the United Nations Fashion Lifestyle Network, a global initiative that promotes sustainability and inclusivity within the fashion and lifestyle industry.

The project proved so successful that the UN has now taken the next step. Students from Central Saint Martins and the Swedish School of Textiles may now also design accessories for the sustainable uniforms. Accessories play an important role in how people wear and experience a uniform in practice.

Schools increasingly contribute to (sustainable) uniforms

Organizations have involved students in the development of uniforms before, but this trend has become increasingly common in recent years.

In 2025, the owner of an Austrian McDonald’s franchise also collaborated with a fashion school. Students created designs for new workwear. After a jury reviewed the entries, the company selected one design, produced it and introduced it for staff.

This format, where students share ideas through competitions, appears more frequently. Brussels Airlines also developed its new uniform through a competition. Students from the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp took part. The design by then twenty-one-year-old Gabrielle Szwarcenberg won and has been worn since 2024.

The concept is therefore very smart: students get the opportunity to create while gaining practical experience at the same time. It sounds like a match made in heaven. And it can be, provided companies handle the process in the right way.

Students and the development of uniforms

A company saves money when it does not hire a designer. But if you want to give a student a fair opportunity, you need to involve them in the follow-up process and provide proper guidance. No matter how good an initial design looks, people always need to make adjustments in practice. Young students especially often have little experience and do not always know what they should take into account when designing uniforms or workwear. After all, it is very different from fashion.

When companies handle this process properly, they do not necessarily spend less money. But not every company works that carefully. In 2015, Ryanair launched a new uniform designed by recent graduate Emma Collopy. Cabin crew initially selected her design, but complaints quickly followed. The bright yellow coat soon received the nickname “Duck Coat” and nobody wanted to wear it. The quality of the garments also failed to meet expectations.

Staff members still complain about the uniforms today, while the airline continues to use them. It is unfortunate that Collopy’s name remains connected to this story. During the process, the company likely failed to give her the guidance she needed. Critics claimed that Ryanair mainly wanted to benefit from a cheap student designer without investing enough time, money or attention.

We will probably never know what really happened. But one thing is clear: students can be a great source of inspiration, but they also need guidance and protection. Starting your career with a uniform that receives massive criticism is not exactly ideal.

Greetings,

Aileen